Jan 21,(Colombo Page) Colombo: Former Army Commander of Sri Lanka Sarath Fonseka has been fully pardoned by the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today.
The former Army general who led the decisive war against the LTTE to end the terrorism in Sri Lanka was stripped off of his ranks and rights by the previous government.
Fonseka has been acquitted of all charges filed against him under the previous Government and has been granted complete amnesty by President Maithripala Sirisena, President's Media Division said.
President's Media Division said President Sirisena pardoned the former General by the powers vested in him under Article 34 of the Constitution.
Accordingly, Fonseka's rank will be restored and will be entitled to all military and social privileges without any legal barrier. He will be awarded back his medals and honors. Accordingly, General Sarath Fonseka The former Army Commander, who played an integral role in ending the three-decade long war against the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), retired from the Army to contest as a common opposition presidential candidate against the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 2010 presidential election.
Fonseka lost the presidential race to the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa with a wide margin of 18 percent. Following his loss, he was arrested on 8 February 2010 by the military allegedly for conspiring to overthrow the government by staging a coup with the assistance of Army officers loyal to him.
The former General faced two court martial tribunals on several charges and he was stripped off the ranks and the pension by a verdict of the first court martial which found him guilty of participating in political activities while in active service.
Following his defeat in the Presidential Election he was elected to Parliament from Democratic National Alliance, the party he led, in the General Election in April 2010. He lost his parliamentary seat after he was sentenced to serve a three year prison sentence by the Military Court.
After serving more than 2 years in prison, Fonseka was released on 21 May 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment